Julia Altshuler wrote:
> A customer comes into the wine and cheese shop and asks for pate. We
> have "tres cornichons" pates. I ask her how much she wants, slice it
> for her, weigh it, etc. Of all the items in the store, I like most of
> them, or, if I don't care for it, one of the other sales clerks does.
> The exception is pate. None of us can stand it. We don't even like the
> smell. We serve it, try not to make nasty faces and wrap it up again
> quick. We wonder how it can be considered a gourmet item when it smells
> like spam.
>
>
> This got us thinking about other fancy gourmet items. I enjoy many
> types of seafood but not cavier which I think is slimy, salty and fishy.
> I wouldn't go near fois gras. Personally, I don't like olives, but
> others do. I do like saffron which is expensive, and I'm learning about
> wines and slowly starting to think I can tell the difference between the
> good stuff and the cheap stuff. Most of us like the blue cheeses though
> there's a preference for the milder ones as opposed to the strong, wet
> authentic ones from Roquefort.
>
>
> So what's the deal with fancy French gourmet items? The people who like
> them love them and come into our store just for them and rave about how
> wonderful it is to find a store that carries them. Yuck. Those of you
> who enjoy pate and cavier and fois gras, what is it about the foods that
> you like? Can you describe them in a way that will make the rest of us
> understand?
>
>
> --Lia
>

I really enjoy caviar and other fish roes so long as it isn't salmon
roe. The flavor of salmon roe isn't bad it's a texture thing, too
"juicey." The flavor is delicate yet molmentarily intense and the
popping on the tongue sensation is blissful.

I don't like liver based pates or foie gras, but I've never met any bird
or mammal liver that I like. Olives I love, preferably served with
cheeses, crusty bread, garlic shrimp and good wine.

Roquefort isn't my favorite on it's own but is a fine complement of
tastes when matched with ripe off the tree pears in season or crumbled
upon a sandwich of good rare roast beast & arugula.

essica